Penang recorded 3,786 crime cases involving motorcyclists so far this year compared with 3,523 cases last year.

State police chief Ayub Yaakob said cases like motorcycle thefts,

snatch thefts, robbery and illegal racing saw an increase of 263 over last year's figure.

"In most of the cases, the suspects, individually, in pairs or in a group, had used motorcycles to commit the crime, especially robbery and snatch thefts.

"We are asking the public to cooperate with the police by giving input or ideas, so that a more effective approach can be drawn up to change the situation," he said after flagging off the Penang Police Community Expedition today.

Ayub was leading a high-powered motorcycle convoy involving 50 policemen and 50 members of the Penang Motorcycle Club on a Rakan Cop and crime-prevention promotion drive.

The one-day expedition started from Batu Feringghi and ended in Batu Maung.

Ayub said street crime made up about 40 percent of all crime cases in Penang.

"No matter how many more policemen we recruit and deploy, street crime committed by motorcyclists will still occur, but what is important is curbing it with the cooperation of the public," he said.

- Bernama